Although both the languages for CSS3 and HTML5 currently remain under development, still taking some time out from your busy schedule and familiarizing yourself with these languages will immensely help you to design and create better looking and cleaner websites. So, just read on and acquaint yourself with HTML5 and CSS3…

This is a foundation article to get you through the latest web languages; HTML5 and CSS3. Learn where to use them, when to use them and why to use them.

CSS3

When you take into consideration the presentation of your website content, Cascading Style Sheets offer immense flexibility. It reduces complexity and repetition in the structural content, enables multiple pages to share formatting and also improves the accessibility of the content. Overall, you can say that it helps in making everything elegant, pretty and appealing.

Although all the browsers do not support CSS3 yet, still with the each passing day, it is becoming more and more popular. This is due to the fact that it’s much easier and convenient to make changes where users feels no need in trying to get the same effect by using a JavaScript plugin or with the creation of a somewhat different version of a similar image.

CSS3 also offers some magnificent fresh features that can enhance the appeal and appearance of your website. Even though these features may not be very viable where the functionality of the website is concerned, they make the website aesthetically appealing and remove the clutter too. The striking features and designs will entice visitors and encourage them to explore the whole website.

Users will appreciate the ability to see a little more of what that page is about before potentially wasting loading time. Few of the features, like menus, are required for almost every website. The users and visitors will definitely appreciate their benefit of exploring the pages and seeing a little more of it before potentially wasting loading time.

However, a drawback of using CSS is that filters are required to be implemented to change how something will appear onscreen with the usage of different browsers. Although it’s Internet Explorer which is famous for bugs, CSS can also be incorrectly interpreted by Chrome and Firefox. Thus, different web designers and developers have created varied CSS3 codes that can be sent to different browsers or use filters to bar the complete CSS delivery.

Striking New Tricks

Resize the elements: Working with Safari, this feature offers a small resizing triangle that enables you to easily resize anything you need.

Transform: This feature lets you to select how big you want an area to become during hover.

RGBA coloring: This technology enables you to choose the amount of red, green, blue and opacity in your design rather than referring to a cheat sheet or going through the pain of memorizing hex colors.

Levels of opacity: Previously, you were required to use a CSS filter or create a new image, now you simply have to input “opacity: 0.5;” or another desired number to get the right effect.

Border images: Rather than compromising with a fogeyish or plain border, CSS3 permits you to upload an image and use it as a border.

Multiple backgrounds: CSS3 allows overlaying multiple backgrounds.

Box Shadows: This allows the main text to slide beneath other areas (say the footer) or makes the area appear like it’s emerging out or sinking into the website. CSS3 makes converting this into a reality without any extra effort of using a JavaScript plugin or creation of a new image.

Easy to add fonts: If you would like to add new fonts, all you have to do is upload the file to your server, link to the CSS file and then you can create a font family.

Rounding the corners: In the past, rounding the corners was a tricky job. But, with CSS3 you can quickly eliminate sharp corners without the need to use images.

Examples

Using Opacity

Rounded Corners

RGBA

Box Shadow and Text Shadow

HTML5

The most recent version of Hypertext Markup Language or HTML, HTML5 is the language for structuring and presenting content for the World Wide Web. It is currently in the underdeveloped form and only small numbers of browsers use it actively. But in the coming years, its application and advantages will be widely acknowledged and its usability will increase considerably.

The basic aim of HTML5 is improving the language with support for the recent multimedia and also to keep it reader friendly and consistent so that it is understood by devices and computers. The completion of HTML5 is scheduled for 2014, but there are various features available through which you can get to know HTML5 and also add some components to your website.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., famously refused to permit playing Flash content on the iOS devices due to the presence of bugs. So, the users remain bereft of this experience! Therefore, it becomes imperative for you to learn about all the intricate features of HTML5 if you want to develop apps and iOS-friendly websites.

Google has also taken the plunge and is currently engaged in the process of developing an HTML5-friendly version of YouTube; this has also made various developers realize the importance of HTML5 and it might be a prediction of its future popularity. But with the resistance of some of the features and functionality of HTML5 by Firefox, designers and developers are sensing the need to be fully aware of all the facts and bases while implementing fresh features on their website.

The core aim and vision behind HTML5 is not placing it as a large entity, rather segregating it into small parts that work together and create something advanced, elegant and innovative. Each browser may hold the capability of supporting different features of HTML5. Therefore, if you are interested in coding, you need to figure out the features you require and the features that will be supported by different browsers.

HTML5 is the advanced version of HTML4, which became widely popular among users, designers and developers. This doesn’t infer that the existing markup has become useless and the coder needs to throw it away, rather it means that the coder is getting an improved version of the old one. For instance, you can update the forms that permit new features, such as better email input if you are using a mobile device.

Features of HTML5

Any HTML syntax needs the specification of a doctype declaration for browsers to render the page in standard modes. As compared to the older version of HTML, HTML5 has a very simplified version, which is just: <!DOCTYPE html>.

With the help of the application cache, you can easily navigate web applications while you are offline.

Through the canvas element, you can avoid having to use Photoshop and create your own 2D images and directly position them in your code.

HTML5 simplifies the editing of your website content. With the use of content editable attribute, you can easily and conveniently change the text through adding contenteditable=“true” to any element.

HTML5 offers commendable video and audio support. As it starts running and all browsers begin to support HTML5, you can easily add videos and audio to your website without any requirement of outside plugins.

Why use HTML5?

As HTML5 implements WebSockets, it will load much more quickly than HTML4 or any other older versions.
This new language is growing rapidly and will exhibit improved results with faster and better features. Therefore, websites using the older languages will appear outdated and dull in comparison.
Images, audio and video can be easily and efficiently written right into the code. So, there is no need for you to waste time or money in any other 3rd party software.
If you write mobile phone applications in HTML5, they will be more universally accessible. This is due to the fact that now there will be no need for you to write different applications for different brands of phones. Rather, you can create universal applications that will work for all phones.
The combination of HTML5 and CSS3 will offer you impressive designer credibility by keeping up with the latest design features.